ABSTRACT

Everything we do relies on causation. We eat and drink because this causes us to stay alive. Courts tell us who causes crimes, criminology tell us what causes people to commit them. D.H. Mellor shows us that to understand the world and our lives we must understand causation.
The Facts of Causation, now available in paperback, is essential reading for students and for anyone interested in reading one of the ground-breaking theories in metaphysics. We cannot understand the world and our place in it without understanding causation. Yet a complete account of the nature and implications of causation does not exist. D.H Mellor's new book is that account.

chapter |5 pages

Introduction

chapter 1|15 pages

Deterministic causation

chapter 2|10 pages

The chances of effects

chapter 3|13 pages

Interpretations of probability

chapter 4|8 pages

Chance

chapter 5|15 pages

Indeterministic causation

chapter 6|12 pages

Raising the chances of effects

chapter 7|14 pages

Causes as means

chapter 8|13 pages

Degrees of effectiveness

chapter 9|15 pages

Factual causes and effects

chapter 10|9 pages

Events

chapter 11|10 pages

Particular causes and effects

chapter 12|16 pages

Affecting particulars

chapter 13|14 pages

Causal relations

chapter 14|15 pages

Causal facta

chapter 15|15 pages

Properties

chapter 16|19 pages

Laws

chapter 17|25 pages

Time